Life is difficult to define. One principle concerning life is that it is invisible. For instance, we may say that our physical life is in our body, but we could not point to its specific location, even if we could see inside our body. However, life has manifestations, which are visible. Although we cannot see or define life, we can see the manifestations of life. We recognize that people have life because their bodies manifest the life within them. However, after a person dies, the same body that previously manifested life now manifests death. Similarly, we can see whether someone has zoe, the divine life, in his or her spirit, mind, and body by the manifestations of the divine life. When a brother spontaneously prays in a meeting, this indicates that he has life in his spirit. The way we listen to a healthy, proper message in a meeting may be a manifestation of life or death in our mind. If we receive the message with joy, this is the manifestation of a mind full of life. However, if we inwardly question and argue with the message, this is a manifestation of death in our mind. The life or death in the minds of the listeners can supply or kill the spirit of the speaking one. Life itself cannot be seen, but life is manifested by what we are, do, speak, and express. When we are full of life, although we may not do anything, our being will express life and minister life to those around us. The manifestation of the divine life in our bodies is not by jumping and shouting in the meetings. When certain brothers and sisters stand up to speak in the meetings, even before they say anything, the way they stand up indicates that they are full of life. When they begin to speak, their words and even their gestures and demeanor indicate that they have been given life even in their mortal bodies.
Life is realized not only by its manifestation but also by the proper feeling, or sense. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Peace indicates a kind of sense. Whenever we receive the life supply, we will have a sense deep within that we are full of peace. Peace implies joy, rest, satisfaction, and refreshment. When we sense that we are lacking joy, rest, satisfaction, and refreshment, this indicates that we need life. If we try to improve ourselves by our own effort, even if we are successful, we will not have peace. Perhaps an unbelieving husband is never kind to his wife. When he becomes a Christian, he may decide that he should be kind to his wife. However, even if he is successful in improving his behavior by his self-effort, he will not have peace, joy, satisfaction, or refreshment deep within. Instead, he may begin to inwardly complain that his wife does not deserve his kindness. On the other hand, when we regularly contact the Lord, call on His name, and pray-read the Word, we will receive the life supply and be full of life. Then we will spontaneously have a proper relationship with everyone around us, and we will have peace, joy, rest, satisfaction, and refreshment within. This inward condition and sense of peace are indications that we are being supplied with life.
As we receive the life supply from the indwelling Spirit, every day we are approaching the goal of this life by being more conformed to the image of Christ, the firstborn Son of God. The genuine Christian life is not a matter of performance or human effort but of receiving of the life supply of the all-inclusive indwelling life-giving Spirit, which issues in peace, joy, rest, satisfaction, and refreshment and carries us on toward the goal. Although we do not have any realization that we are being transformed and conformed, every day we are closer to the goal of being fully conformed to Christ’s image. This is the genuine Christian life for the church life, and this is what God is after, as revealed in Romans 8. If we see this, it will help us to drop all other concepts. To endeavor to improve ourselves is according to religious teaching. Romans 8 tells us that the Triune God through all His processes has accomplished everything that is necessary. Therefore, we do not need to do anything but receive Him as the life-giving Spirit and allow Him to work in us to supply our spirit, mind, and body with life. If we are simply a willing receiver of the life supply, life will work out everything and will conform us to the image of Christ.